Chapter Three

Tuesday

"Thank you for your hospitality Penny." said Mary as she efficiently packed up her things. "And for everything you have done for Sheldon."

Penny tried to brush off the praise. "That's okay. Anyone else would have done the same."

Mary looked her squarely in the eye. "No they wouldn't."

"Really, Mrs. Cooper -"

Mary interrupted her. "Sheldon's little friends seem to me to be the fair weather kind. And don't you think I haven't forgotten what they did to him with his experiment at the North Pole."

"Mama, you agreed not to bring that up." Missy interjected.

"Well, it's the truth. There, I've said my piece. I won't say anything further."

Penny frowned. "I'm sorry Mrs. Cooper."

"There is no reason for you to be apologizin' dear. You've done nothing wrong in my book." Mary turned to put the shirt she was folding into the suitcase and muttered under her breath. "Except for goin' with that Leonard."

Missy was close enough to her to have heard the comment. She gave her mother a warning look and made a quick 'cut it out' motion with her hand.

Mary sighed and zipped her suitcase closed. "Well, that's about everything. Shall we go collect your brother to head out to the airport?"

Penny went to carry Mary's suitcase for her. "That's why you're such a good woman. Always ready to lend a hand. But this old gal still does alright by herself."

Both Missy and Penny said in unison. "You're not old."

"Well, I'm not gettin' any younger. And, Ill be positively white haired before I get any grandchildren!"

"Mom!"

"I just wish one of my children would settle down already." Mary said hopefully.

Missy redirected the conversation. "Come on Mom, we've got to get you and Duke to the airport or you'll miss your flight."

Mary sharply looked at her daughter. "I still don't know why you're staying an extra day."

"I told you already Mom, I'm going to go see my friend Callie out in Santa Monica."

The truth was she was hoping to spend some time trying to get to know Raj better without her mother around to interfere. She had felt so drawn to him the last time she came out to visit Sheldon. Like a moth to a flame. A shiver went down her spine and she smiled inwardly.

Missy glanced over to Penny and winked at her. Penny knew how she felt about Raj and was trying to help anyway she could. She was even lending her car to Missy for the day, although she wasn't quite sure why Missy was dragging Sheldon with her to set up whatever she was doing. It seemed to Penny that Missy should be offering Sheldon dating advice, and not the other way around.

What kind of woman would Sheldon be attracted to anyway?

"Gathering wool darlin'? Mary asked.

Penny looked up from her reverie. "Huh? No, just having a blonde moment."

Knock, knock, knock

"Penny?"

Knock, knock, knock

"Missy?"

Knock, knock, knock

"Mom?"

Penny opened the door to find Sheldon and Duke standing out in the landing. Duke had his hand covering his mouth to hide his smile at his brother's eccentricity.

"Good afternoon, Penny." Sheldon said formally.

"Sheldon, Duke." Penny smiled a toothy grin at them.

Sheldon looked down at his watch. "Mom are you ready? If we are to arrive at the airport to give you adequate time to check in and go through security, we have to leave in the next five minutes. Although I don't know why I'm going too."

Missy poked him in the chest. "Because that's what family does!"

"All set and ready to go Pumpkin." Mary turned to Penny and gave her a warm embrace. "I don't know what I would have done without you being here for my baby."

Duke tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, let me get some of that." His mother let go of Penny and he took her into his arms and gave her a bear hug and a rough kiss on the cheek. "Somehow Penny, thank you doesn't seem enough. You really are something special. I can see why Sheldon's so sweet on you."

Sheldon blushed and sputtered out. "I-I'm not sweet on Penny!"

Penny held up her hands and gestured back and forth between her and Sheldon. "He's not…I'm not…there's nothing…"

Three sets of eyebrows shot up. They'd all seen it in the couple of days they were in California. They way Sheldon and Penny gravitated towards each other. When Penny sat on the couch between Leonard and Sheldon, she unconsciously sat closer to Sheldon and even crossed her legs in his direction. On several occasion one of them would catch Sheldon surreptitiously tracking Penny's movements through the apartment. Penny also seemed to be doting on Sheldon, and not in the 'I'm just doing this so you won't annoy me' way. All of these things could be ignored or passed off as wishful thinking. What could not be ignored was the fact the Sheldon let Penny hug him without stiffening up like a washboard. That was nothing short of a miracle as far as Mary was concerned.

Well, maybe it's like that sayin'. You can't see the forest for the trees.

Sheldon started down the stairs. "We have to go…now!"

Duke swung his duffle bag over his shoulder and picked up his mother's suitcase. He winked at Penny and gave her a short wave goodbye. "Well, I can admit that I'm getting quite sweet on you myself"

Penny gave him a big grin and blew him a kiss. Missy caught the concerned looked on Sheldon's face before he was able to hide it.

Mary gave Penny another quick hug. "Thank you again Penny."

Penny smiled at her and said simply. "You're welcome."

Missy corralled her mother over to the staircase. "We shouldn't be too long Penny. And thank again for letting me use your car."

Penny waved them all goodbye as they walked down the stairs.

Mary caught Duke before they got into the car. "Do not tease your brother about Penny! All you'll do is spook him and then he'll turn his heart off completely to her. Remember, he's not like you!"

"Yes, Mama."

They just needed a little push is all.

Driving away from LAX

"I still don't know why I had to go to the airport." Sheldon looked over at his sister from the passenger seat of Penny's Volkswagen.

Missy ignored him. "Did you bring your wallet?"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Did you bring your wallet?"

"Yes I brought my wallet!" He looked askance at Missy. "Why are you asking?"

Missy tried to be patient with her twin. "Because you, my genius brother who is a complete idiot sometimes, are going to buy Penny a present as a thank you for taking care of your sorry self!"

"Oh." Sheldon seemed surprised by the idea. "Oh! What shall I get her? She doesn't like comic books or action figures. Somehow I do not believe an addition to her Care Bear collection would be apropos. She does like shoes, but she would need to be there to try them on. Maybe I should get her a gift certificate to a shoe store. What do you think Missy?"

No wonder the man had never been on a date. "Sheldon…nothing says thank you to a girl like a nice bouquet of flowers."

"Really?"

"Really."

Two hours later

"For Jesus' sake Sheldon! Pick out something. This is the fourth florist shop in Pasadena we've been to!" Missy patience was wearing thin. She should be used to it by now, but it just didn't get any easier.

Sheldon had to point it out to her. "It was your suggestion to buy Penny flowers. I just need to find the right ones. You shot down my idea of silk flowers, and Penny would certainly kill any type of house plant. I have to find a cut flower that is long lived."

Missy cut in. "Just a reminder, carnations are filler flowers, not as a whole bouquet. And absolutely no gladiolus."

The both visibly shuddered. The shopkeeper behind the register looked up at Missy and raised an eyebrow. "Funeral flowers." was Missy's only explanation.

The shopkeeper said to her. "How about a dozen roses? We've just gotten a shipment in this morning from Ecuador." She led Sheldon and Missy over to the display.

Missy saw them first. "Oh Sheldon, look!"

He didn't need her to point out which roses she was so excited about. The roses were a soft pink that nearly paled to white at the edges. He nodded to his sister. "Those are the ones."

The shopkeeper pulled out the flowers from the display. "Ah, 'Rosita Vendela', a very wise choice, and I'm sure for a very pretty lady." She had the flowers quickly wrapped in cellophane and tied with a pink silk bow and Missy and Sheldon were on their way.

They had only gotten about fifteen feet down the street when a store window display caught Sheldon's eye. He didn't hesitate as he went to enter the store.

Missy caught him by the arm. "Are you sure? Anything in there has got to be expensive."

He pointed to the display in the window. "But it's perfect for her!"

They were in and out of the store in ten minutes and headed back to the apartment.

Inside Apartment 4A

Penny, Howard, Raj and Leonard were all hanging out waiting for Missy and Sheldon to return so they could order their takeout. For the third time Penny caught Leonard checking his cell phone after it buzzed signaling a text message. When she asked him the first time who it was he just said, "It's nothing." The second time he said, "Its work stuff." The third time he said, "It's nothing that would interest you."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" That's when she grabbed the phone from his hands.

"Give me my phone back!" Leonard whined.

She held the phone up over her head as tried to jump up and grab it, but she was just that much taller and her arms just that much longer that he couldn't reach.

"Come on Penny, give it back!"

"Nope!" She scooted away from him and into the kitchen.

Leonard held out his hand to her. "Please give it back."

Penny held the phone to her chest. "Are you trying to surprise me with something?"

"No, now give it back, please!"

Just then the phone buzzed again and Penny looked down at the incoming text. She looked up at Leonard with questioning eyes. "Why is Stephanie texting you? And, why is she asking when she can see you again…" She looked back down at the phone and slowly raised her gaze to meet Leonard's "…Sugar lips?"

Outside Apartment 4A

Sheldon and Missy could hear Penny's yelling from inside the apartment. Sheldon cautiously opened the door and shoved his sister out of the way as Leonard's cell phone went whizzing past their heads. Penny came storming out after it. As she went to pass Sheldon and Missy, Sheldon stuck out his arm holding the roses. "These are for you Penny."

Penny took the roses from him, her eyes swimming with tears. She turned back to Leonard and shouted. "This is what a real man does Leonard! He buys you flowers! He doesn't cheat on you!"

"I didn't cheat on you. Not really. It's a misunderstanding." He tried to deflect any wrongdoing from him. "And why is Sheldon buying you flowers? Sheldon's not your boyfriend, I am."

Penny's gaze hardened and steel entered her voice. "No, you're not." She turned on her heel and escaped to her own apartment.

"This is all you fault Sheldon!" Leonard yelled at him as he turned and stormed off to his bedroom.

Sheldon looked around to the others. "What did I do? What happened?"

Howard and Raj got up from the couch where they had been cowering and headed out the door. Howard looked up to Sheldon and Missy as they made their escape. "Apparently the S.S. Leonard & Penny hit an iceberg, and Raj and I are headed for the lifeboats. I suggest you do the same." Raj gave them a helpless look and shrugged. It was all he could do.

Sheldon looked to his sister for help "I don't know what to do."

"Stay here Sheldon. I'll go see how she is."

He was left standing at the threshold of his apartment as Howard called back up the stairs.

"It's every man for himself!"